Potassium–can you get it without eating bananas? ““““““““““““““““

We all know that we need potassium in our lives and for most that source is bananas but what if you don’t like bananas (like me) so then how are you supposed to get your daily dose of potassium?

First, do you know why you should have potassium in your diet? Potassium may help with reducing blood pressure and water retention, may help reduce occurrence of osteoporosis, and may even help reduce muscle loss as it is able to counteract the negative effects of sodium. For many of these reasons, potassium-rich diets are often recommended for cardio and bone health. How much potassium should you be consuming? A simple Google search shows that about 4700 mg a day is recommended but I’m sure the average person is not getting that much unless you are eating some of the below mentioned foods.

Potassium can be found in many leafy greens like spinach as well as in avocados, tomatoes, potatoes (including sweet potatoes), and beans. A popular fall staple is acorn squash which is loaded with potassium and antioxidants so pick one up next time you are the grocery store. Remember, eating whole foods is the way to go but what if you don’t have time to cook and eat? You can always try to get in potassium via coconut water or pomegranate juice but make sure to check that it doesn’t have added sugar as you’ll reap the benefit of potassium but negate it with the sugar.

When eating processed foods, it’s important to remember that any sort of processing (microwaving for example) tends to destroy nutrients including potassium so food sources with high potassium must be sought out. Furthermore, if you are eating processed foods, it likely has more sodium in it so to counteract the effect sodium has on blood pressure, potassium could be added into your diet.

Is potassium missing in your diet? Check with your doctor or nutritionist and find out how you can add it in.